Blue Jays hoping pitching strategy will pay off as Eric Lauer returns to the rotation

We know the games mean a little bit more when the Toronto Blue Jays are actively trying to match up their pitchers against specific competition. It's also been a while since they've had the luxury of being able to say they are truly six starters deep and any one of them can give the Blue Jays a chance to win on any given night.

Cue the return to the rotation of Eric Lauer, who has been the most pleasant surprise in a starting rotation that has at times exceeded the expectations set out for them at the on set of the 2025 season, while other times, they've struggled to keep up with the rest of the league. They've never struggled long enough for it to be an issue however, and a lot of that is thanks to the stability that Lauer has brought into the fold.

Blue Jays hopeful rotation strategy will pay off as Eric Lauer returns to the rotation

The 30-year-old left hander became a regular member of the rotation in the middle of June and made 12 straight starts and posted a 3.25 ERA in 69 innings, going 6-2, while racking up 70 strikeouts and keeping hitters to a .243 batting average and .292 on-base percentage. Normally, those numbers would be good enough to keep Lauer in the starting rotation, but Toronto added a sixth man to the equation when they acquired Shane Bieber at the deadline, and in one start Bieber made that decision look like a no-brainer when he carved up the Marlins in his season debut.

Lauer was sent to the pen, but didn't make an appearance in either of the Pittsburgh or Miami series' and on Saturday it was announced he would get the ball again in an upcoming match up this week when Toronto returns home to play the Twins. He's scheduled to start in the series finale on Wednesday after Max Scherzer gets the ball in the opener on Monday, and Chris Bassitt goes to the mound in the middle game.

This is being heralded by some as a "creative twist" to the traditional five-man rotation. It allows a few guys to get extra rest before their next outing. It also allows the Blue Jays to lineup what could be their ALDS rotation against one of the best teams in the league in the Milwaukee Brewers, who come to Toronto this weekend.

The Brewers (81-50) lead the NL Central by five games and have a league leading +159 run differential. With Lauer getting Wednesday's start, Toronto would be able to lineup Bieber, Kevin Gausman and Scherzer against the Brewers, allowing José Berrios to get the ball in the start of the next series in Cincinnati against the Reds on September 1.

That would be an eight day layoff between starts for Berrios, which on one hand, you hope it doesn't throw Berrios off his game. On the other hand, at this time of the year, any extra off days could be a welcomed opportunity. Over his career, Berrios is 21-12 when pitching on six or more days of rest. He has a 4.29 ERA while hitters have hit .244/.315/.392 against him in those situations.

The fact that the Blue Jays have an abundance of guys who they feel comfortable giving the ball to, to start the game shows how far they have come within just a single season. In April and May the Blue Jays were dealing with injuries and underperformances and had to rely on some spot starters as well as some bullpen days just to get through week. Those feel like distant memories now as pulling Lauer from the pen will give them a better chance to win a game instead of just having a guy to throw the ball.